The Cryin' Shames
Encyclopedia
The Cryin' Shames were a mid 1960s pop
/beat group, produced
by Joe Meek
. They had one UK
hit
single
in 1966 with a cover
of The Drifters
' 1961 "Please Stay
", written
by Burt Bacharach
and Bob Hilliard
.
, and was managed
by Norman Eastwood. The Bumblies name came from a television program
me starring Michael Bentine
. The Bumblies comprised Charlie Crane (vocals), Joey Kneen (vocals), John Bennett (guitar
), Phil Roberts (keyboards
), George Robinson (bass guitar
) and Charlie Gallagher (drum
s)
Roberts and Kneen came from 'The Calderstones' that also featured Tom Evans
(Badfinger
). After recording
their first single, The Bumblies' Bennett was replaced in early December 1965 by the then 16 year old Ritchie Routledge from 'The Aztecs'; a semi-professional musician who was working as a junior reporter for Music Echo, a music paper owned by Brian Epstein
. The band changed their name to 'The Cryin' Shames' and started working under the new name just before Christmas 1965. The Cryin' Shames first single, "Please Stay" was released on the Decca
label
on 18 February 1966. It was destined to be Joe Meek's final chart hit before he committed suicide
in .
"Please Stay
" was a minor hit, peaking at #26 in the UK Singles Chart
, and the band
was approached by Epstein, who wanted to manage
them, but they refused. The band had met Epstein in the Adelphi Hotel
in Liverpool and turned down his offer.
The line-up changed in May 1966, when Robinson was replaced by Derek Cleary on bass, who played on their second single release, "Nobody Waved Goodbye", which was released the following month.
Crane and Routledge left The Cryin' Shames and formed a new band with a new name. With a line-up of Charlie [Paul] Crane, Ritchie Routledge (both vocals), Brian Norris (bass), Mike Espie (guitar), Pete Byrne (organ) and Paul Commerford (drums), they recorded one more single with Meek, "September in the Rain" / "Come On Back", which was released on 1 September 1966. It was issued under their new name of Paul and Ritchie and The Crying Shames.
Routledge later led Blackwater Park
, an English
-German
band in the early 1970s, and was part of Grimms
. He also worked as a session
singer for The Scaffold
and appeared on the recording of the 1974 song "Liverpool Lou" (UK
Number 7 - produced by Paul McCartney
). Crane went on to be the lead singer of 'Gary Walker
and The Rain'.
as Paul and Ritchie and The Crying Shames
included "What's News, Pussycat" by the Cryin' Shames on the English Freakbeat, Volume 5
edition.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/beat group, produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
. They had one UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1966 with a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
' 1961 "Please Stay
Please Stay (song)
"Please Stay" is an early hit of The Drifters featuring the new lead singer Rudy Lewis, who replaced Ben E. King...
", written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Bob Hilliard
Bob Hilliard
Bob Hilliard was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs; "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", "Any Day Now", "Dear Hearts and Gentle People", "Our Day Will Come", "My Little Corner of the World", and "Seven Little Girls ".-Career:Born in New York City, New York, and after...
.
Career
The sextet was initially renamed from 'The Bumblies' which founded in 1963 in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and was managed
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
by Norman Eastwood. The Bumblies name came from a television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me starring Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine CBE was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons. A Peruvian Briton by heritage as a result of his father's nationality, In 1971 Bentine received the Order of Merit of Peru because of his fund-raising work for the 1970 Great Peruvian...
. The Bumblies comprised Charlie Crane (vocals), Joey Kneen (vocals), John Bennett (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Phil Roberts (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), George Robinson (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Charlie Gallagher (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s)
Roberts and Kneen came from 'The Calderstones' that also featured Tom Evans
Tom Evans (musician)
Thomas Evans Jr was a musician who was most notable for his work with the band Badfinger.- Badfinger :In 1969, The Iveys changed their name to Badfinger and Paul McCartney of The Beatles gave the group a boost by offering them his song "Come and Get It" which he produced for the band...
(Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
). After recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their first single, The Bumblies' Bennett was replaced in early December 1965 by the then 16 year old Ritchie Routledge from 'The Aztecs'; a semi-professional musician who was working as a junior reporter for Music Echo, a music paper owned by Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
. The band changed their name to 'The Cryin' Shames' and started working under the new name just before Christmas 1965. The Cryin' Shames first single, "Please Stay" was released on the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
on 18 February 1966. It was destined to be Joe Meek's final chart hit before he committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in .
"Please Stay
Please Stay (song)
"Please Stay" is an early hit of The Drifters featuring the new lead singer Rudy Lewis, who replaced Ben E. King...
" was a minor hit, peaking at #26 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and the band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
was approached by Epstein, who wanted to manage
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
them, but they refused. The band had met Epstein in the Adelphi Hotel
Adelphi Hotel
The Adelphi Hotel was a hotel based in the city centre of Sheffield, England. It was notable for the founding of three major sports teams; Yorkshire County Cricket Club , Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United...
in Liverpool and turned down his offer.
The line-up changed in May 1966, when Robinson was replaced by Derek Cleary on bass, who played on their second single release, "Nobody Waved Goodbye", which was released the following month.
Crane and Routledge left The Cryin' Shames and formed a new band with a new name. With a line-up of Charlie [Paul] Crane, Ritchie Routledge (both vocals), Brian Norris (bass), Mike Espie (guitar), Pete Byrne (organ) and Paul Commerford (drums), they recorded one more single with Meek, "September in the Rain" / "Come On Back", which was released on 1 September 1966. It was issued under their new name of Paul and Ritchie and The Crying Shames.
Routledge later led Blackwater Park
Blackwater Park (band)
Blackwater Park was a progressive hard rock band from Berlin, Germany, with an English vocalist. They released only one album, Dirt Box, which included a cover of The Beatles' "For No One"...
, an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
band in the early 1970s, and was part of Grimms
Grimms
GRIMMS was an English pop rock, skit and poetry group, originally formed as a merger of The Scaffold, the Bonzo Dog Band, and the Liverpool Scene for two concerts in 1971 at the suggestion of John Gorman...
. He also worked as a session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
singer for The Scaffold
The Scaffold
The Scaffold were a comedy, poetry and music trio from Liverpool, England, consisting of Mike McGear , Roger McGough and John Gorman.-Career:...
and appeared on the recording of the 1974 song "Liverpool Lou" (UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Number 7 - produced by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
). Crane went on to be the lead singer of 'Gary Walker
Gary Walker (musician)
Gary Walker is an American musician, who was the drummer and vocalist with both The Standells and The Walker Brothers....
and The Rain'.
Singles
as The Cryin' Shames- "Please StayPlease Stay (song)"Please Stay" is an early hit of The Drifters featuring the new lead singer Rudy Lewis, who replaced Ben E. King...
" (BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, HilliardBob HilliardBob Hilliard was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs; "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", "Any Day Now", "Dear Hearts and Gentle People", "Our Day Will Come", "My Little Corner of the World", and "Seven Little Girls ".-Career:Born in New York City, New York, and after...
) / "What's News Pussycat" (Kneen/Robinson) (Decca F 12340 - February 1966) (UK #26 NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
) (UK #22 Melody MakerMelody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
) - "Nobody Waved Goodbye" (Eldon RathburnEldon RathburnEldon Davis Rathburn was a composer from the community of Queenstown, in Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada....
) / "You" (Decca F 12425 - June 1966)
as Paul and Ritchie and The Crying Shames
- "September in the RainSeptember in the Rain"September in the Rain" is a popular song by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film Melody for Two...
" (WarrenHarry WarrenHarry Warren was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison,...
, DubinAl DubinAlexander "Al" Dubin was an American lyricist. He became known through his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.-Life and works:...
) / "Come on Back" (Crane/Routledge) (Decca F 12483 - September 1966) (UK #40 Melody Maker)
Compilation albums
The English Freakbeat seriesEnglish Freakbeat series
The English Freakbeat Series is a group of compilation albums that were issued by AIP Records featuring recordings that were released in the mid-1960s by English rock bands in the early punk, proto-punk, R&B, mod, and beat genres...
included "What's News, Pussycat" by the Cryin' Shames on the English Freakbeat, Volume 5
English Freakbeat, Volume 5
English Freakbeat, Volume 5 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series that has been issued in both LP and CD format.-Release Data:...
edition.